A Honduran man and an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer were hospitalized early Wednesday after a shooting during a vehicle stop on Interstate 17 in north Phoenix, authorities said.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE officers initiated a traffic stop at about 4 a.m. local time near Dove Valley Road after identifying the driver as Jose Garcia-Sorto, who officials said is in the U.S. illegally, KTAR-TV reported. Garcia-Sorto initially stopped, but as officers approached, he allegedly began driving away while one officer was in the path of the vehicle.
"Fearing for his life, the officer defensively discharged his service weapon two times, striking Garcia-Sorto’s vehicle," ICE said in a statement that was posted on X.
Garcia-Sorto and the officer were taken to local hospitals. The agency said the suspect was in stable condition, and the officer was treated for a wound and also was in stable condition.
The FBI is leading the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, which shut down the northbound I-17 off-ramp at Dove Valley Road for several hours during the morning commute, according to KTAR. The Arizona Department of Public Safety said its troopers assisted federal authorities at the scene.
In its statement, ICE blamed the incident on "dishonest politicians" and activists who encourage illegal immigrants to resist arrest — a trend the agency linked to what it described as a more than 1,000% rise in assaults against immigration officers.
ICE cited examples of "sanctuary politicians" who have provided guidance or resources to help migrants evade detention, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
ICE said such rhetoric "puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk," calling on political leaders to "stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement."
The FBI and DHS have not released further details about the shooting as the investigation continues.
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